The invention relates to stable optical laser resonators. Such resonators include mirrors arranged opposite each other enclosing a space filled with a lasing medium. At least one of these mirrors is permeable or partially permeable for decoupling the laser beam.
According to prior art methods pulsed or pulsing laser radiation is produced by means of so-called Q-switch lasers. Such pulsing laser radiation comprises a series or train of uniform short duration impulses of high power. Heretofore, it has been necessary to make the resonator temporarily permeable for the decoupling of the pulsating laser beam. Special optical switches and involved or expensive electronic circuits for the control of these optical switches have been required prior to the present invention.
It is known from experiments described in a book entitled "Laser" by D. Roess, published by "Akademische Verlagsanstalt" in Frankfurt/Main, 1966 pages 336 to 339, that a spontaneous coupling of the transversal modes does occur in optical laser resonators. However, so far it has not been possible to theoretically explain this fact within the framework of the prior art laser theory describing the optical resonator. Such prior art laser theory is based on the diffraction theory: developed by Huygens and Fresnel. Thus, no further attention has been paid to this optical characteristic or feature of an optical laser and the feature has not been used in any practical or technological sense.
It is also known that E. Schroedinger has published a theory which reconciles the teachings of classic mechanics with the teachings of quantum mechanics. Reference is made to "Naturwissenschaften" Nr. 14, 1926, page 664, 1926. Further reference is made in this context to the book "Quantum Mechanics" written by L. I. Schiff, published by McGraw-Hill, New York, 1949. The invention makes use of the theory developed by Schroedinger and Schiff.